


Viva La Vida

by mandaree1



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Amethyst is a protective mother to her people, Gen, Mistaken for a Goddess AU, Quartzes are loyal to a fault- and so is she
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-07-10 15:18:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6990787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandaree1/pseuds/mandaree1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Amethyst ends up leaving the kindergarten after a few hundred years and gets picked up by the local village. Now, considered a deity of war and good harvest, her world is turned on its head when another being like her appears in Green Growth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Amethyst is "found."

Amethyst knew very little about who or what she was. She only had vague memories, little half-notions.

 

She knew she'd been reborn in the Dark-Rock place. She knew that fighting was a part of her soul. And she knew that she would follow her leaders unto death. She'd never _had_ any leaders, or fought any wars, but it was almost as though she was _made_ to feel that way; the thought was ever present and welcome.

 

She didn't, however, remember leaving the Heavens.

 

She'd told the man with fancy clothes that, immediately after they'd taken her in. Desperate for shelter, she'd crawled under a tarp, only to be found by a village warrior. He'd bowed upon sight of her purple skin, begging for forgiveness. Not long afterwards she'd been escorted to a bathhouse of gleaming white stone, rough in design but able to last the ages.

 

The man- her adviser, he'd informed her, humbly there to serve- had then told her what she was. A servant woman- Zadi- had appeared soon after, and gently run her fingers through her hair whilst they talked. She was tall and wide, with long brown hair and brown eyes. Freckles dusted her face.

 

"I don't remember any of that, though." She'd fretted, long hair plastered to her face. She'd been reborn with the long tresses, but would later experiment with shorter hair, only to return to the original style.

 

Her adviser grinned, a consoling gesture. "The Gods must have wiped your memory before gifting the world to you. Your experience will be more pure, that way."

 

"Oh." That made sense, in a way. Amethyst found herself hesitating. "Are you sure they wouldn't do that because I did something bad?"

 

"If that is the case, my Goddess," He assured, gently clasping her hand. "Then you have been sent down to atone."

 

"Atone?"

 

"Of course, my Goddess. To make right what was once wrong." The adviser stood up, turning away so he didn't see anything improper. "Green Growth is your home now, if you will it."

 

Amethyst's eyes grew large. Her only home before had been the Dark-Rock place, and perhaps the Heavens before. She had never even been inside a town before, watching from afar as mankind grew and evolved. "Really?"

 

"We'd be honored. You will bless us with good luck and happy lives."

 

"I'll take care of you." Zadi pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Things have not been the same since my son went to war. And, imagine; helping a Goddess find her wings!"

 

The- no, _her_ \- adviser nodded excitedly. "Zadi is the most nurturing woman in Green Growth. The Gods will smile favorably upon this arrangement. Now, please. Finish getting ready. Your people wish to meet you."

 

 _Your_ people, she repeated mentally, turning over the words. She watched as the man slipped out of the room. They were her's, now. What did one do with their own group of people?

 

(Fight for them, a voice whispered. Protect them. Be loyal.)

 

"This must be a lot to take in." Zadi hummed, rubbing scented oils into her arms. "The Adviser can be a tad... excitable."

 

"I really don't remember anything." She confessed, brow drawn. "If I'm a Goddess, why do you all remember the Heavens better than I do?"

 

"Poor thing." She murmured, petting her head soothingly. "It must be hard, to forget something so wonderful."

 

Amethyst didn't feel any particular draw to the Heavens, however. It bothered her. Shouldn't the afterlife tug at her, like the Dark-Rock place did, at times? Even now, the memories of her hole and the big teeth bit into her. "Does The Adviser have a pretty name, like yous?"

 

Zadi shook her head, smiling. "The Adviser is just that- The Adviser. He has given up his name to become his title." She paused thoughtfully. "Although, perhaps now he will become The Gods' Adviser?"

 

Her heart warmed. Even if she never understood these people, she would at least have her adviser to guide her. And Zadi.

 

"Zadi?" She said, testing the name on her tongue.

 

"Yes?"

 

"Thank you. For taking care of me."

 

"It's an honor, my Goddess." Zadi answered simply.

 

She took her from the warm water and dried her off. She then wrapped her in a light and clean gown, draping a golden necklace around her chest. Golden string was braided into her hair on either side, leaving strands to drape downwards. A simple yellow crown of leaves was knotted into the top of her head.

 

"We made these for a shrine." She admitted sheepishly. "But we never expected to have the real thing."

 

"A shrine?" Amethyst replied. "For who?"

 

"Oce, the Goddess of rebirth." Zadi searched her face. "Does the name sound familiar?"

 

She slowly shook her head.

 

"She is tall, with four arms. You don't remember her at all?"

 

Again, the answer was no.

 

For a moment, she deflated, but eventually Zadi nodded her understanding. "It was a silly hope. If anything, I doubt you are related by blood. The Gods are all related, of course, but not always by birth. You and Oce will see each other again someday." She stood and gently grabbed her hand. "Come. The Adviser waits."

 

Green Growth, she found, was a mixture of stone and wood. A farming village by nature, most of the huts were a deep rich brown, with little stone trinkets scattered about. Only places like the big bathhouse- empty to give her extra space- was made of only rock, as well as the Adviser's hut.

 

People swarmed the streets, bowing and praying. Amethyst, unused to so many voices, clung closer to Zadi.

 

"There's a lotta people here." She whispered.

 

"Not really. We're a small village compared to the others." Zadi flashed her a smile. "That may soon change, though."

 

Amethyst gingerly brushed her fingertips against the hesitating hands of the children, watching them shriek and scramble away in joy. It made her heart swell.

 

Her people. She could get used to that.


	2. Prove It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a small snag.

Zadi examines her hands with a deep concentration, lips pursed. She sat rather comfortably in her wood chair, while Amethyst was crouched before her. It'd taken some prodding on her part to get her to relent, stating that being off the ground made her feel like she was in danger.

It was more than that, of course. Amethyst felt _right_ here. The thought of staying like this, bent before the will of Green Growth- their soldier, their protector- felt like coming home.

But that couldn't possibly be the case; she was a Goddess, a being of great power. Bowing to her people would be shock enough to make them faint.

"It's hard to tell." She said finally. "They're not calloused, like a warrior's, but they're too large and clumsy for detailed work like sewing."

"What's a 'calloused?'"

Zadi held up a hand. Little patches of skin rose from it, ready to harmlessly fall off.

"Oh." She wrinkled her nose, trying not to hurl. "Eww."

"They're a fact of life." She chuckled. Her laughter was warm. "Tell me- do you feel more comfortable in the house, or in the fields?"

Amethyst shrugged indifferently. Inside felt more like the Dark-Rock Place, which was comforting, but she hated the look of the chores the women and more feminine men did. She felt a sort of singularity with the muscular women and broad men who harvested the crops, but didn't like the look of the tools they used; big and sharp and not particularly useful in battle. Too heavy and bulky. "Whichever one."

"Alright. Peace or war?"

"Whatever it takes."

"Rich or poor?"

This time, she scoffed. "Both suck. I mean, what am I gonna do with or without piles of metal?"

Zadi let out a long sigh.

Immediately the guilt began to set in. She wasn't supposed to make her people feel bad. "I'm sorry."

The large woman gave her a watery smile, shaking her head. "It's no problem, my Goddess. We aren't going to find your affiliation overnight."

"If only." The Adviser mumbled. She jumped, having forgotten the frail man was there, passing his hands through old papers Amethyst couldn't yet read. "The public is getting anxious, my Goddess. I fear they may start calling fraud soon."

Amethyst tapped her knee quietly, unsure if, by calling foul, her people would be lying- or telling the cold hard truth.

"We need a test." He stated eventually. "Something to prove our claims."

"Surely her skin is enough! Look at her; she's so exotic."

The Adviser merely shook his head, lips pressed together in a firm line. Amethyst felt her being pulse with sudden knowledge. Almost instinctively, it'd come to her; as much a part of her as her exotic skin.

"A battle." She said.

Zadi and The Adviser both turned to look at her. Amethyst struggled to her feet, knees tingling from being pressed against the hard floor of the woman's hut; her new home. She wasn't about to give all this up.

"Get me somebody tough. I'll fight 'em."

"My Goddess, are you sure that is wise?" The man tittered nervously. "You are so new to our world; I would hate to spoil your gift with blood."

"No, I'm not sure." She replied honestly, ignoring the urge to ask him what blood was. So strange, her people were. "But it feels _right_. Like what I was made to do. Fight and protect."

There was a short pause.

"War." The Adviser murmured, breathless. "You must be a Goddess of war."

"And the harvest." Zadi interjected, hands clasped around her squishy belly. "There's no better protection than a good harvest. Except, of course, a good military."

The Adviser smiled. He was the kind of man to bare all his teeth while doing so. "A battle it is, then."

* * *

People came, people gathered, and one- a large, big-shouldered woman- stepped forward, holding a sword. There was no fear, no regret. Merely devotion to a task and a willingness to tread fire to get to it. Amethyst liked her instantly.

"Go on." She grunted. "Take up a weapon."

Relying on instinct once more that day, Amethyst brought a hand to her chest. She felt like she was reaching inside herself, brushing against the very thing that gave her breath; her core.

She pulled out a whip.

The woman's eyes widened, and the crowd broke into gasps and cheers, but she never faltered.

She said, "You're a mage."

Amethyst pulled herself into a ball and attacked.

As they struck, her own fears suddenly seemed silly. This was _exactly_ who she was. A fighter, a soldier; a Goddess of _war._ Why did she ever think otherwise?

 _"And the harvest."_ Zadi's words ran through her ears, and she hesitated, ashamed- almost unnaturally- of her aggression. This woman was part of her people. She couldn't hurt her people. Loyalty was all she had.

That was around the time the sword struck her side, and she _became._

There is no words with which to describe how she felt. What she'd gone through. A level of ignorant awareness, being only Amethyst in soul and nothing else.

Her Adviser would call it reincarnation. Later- thousands upon thousands of years later, it will have a much more simple moniker; poofing. Of course, reincarnation and regeneration are somewhat the same, in essence, so maybe he was right, after all.

Amethyst's next conscious memory is of suddenly being more than just a spirit and _falling_ , colliding with a stone slab on all fours. Her outfit nearly matches the one they'd put on her before, only her robe is black and purple; her hair ties and crown are a fiery yellow, but not quite gold. They look almost fake. Amethyst finds she likes these colors.

"My Goddess!" Piercing cry, and suddenly she's in Zadi's arms, her gentle face shiny with tears. "I thought you were dead!"

"We all did." The Adviser whispered. Crouched beside the slab, arms laden with burial oils, his eyes were bright with child-like excitement. "Excuse my voice. I've been praying nonstop the past few hours."

"Did she win?" Amethyst asks, a little out of it. "The lady."

"She won a feast." Zadi told her. "But we won much more. We've won ourselves a Goddess. An immortal one, at that. No one can ever deny this."

"Fear will never plague our hearts again." Her Adviser almost sings. "It can be a tradition!"

Amethyst curls up in Zadi's arms and tries that sleeping thing they do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quartz's are loyal soldiers to the bitter end. =)


	3. A Blessing (or Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst leaves for war, feeling lost in her own home.

Amethyst felt a familiar pang of heart wrenching regret as she bowed her head all the way to the stone floor of the burial site in the underbelly of Green Growth, feeling it touch with a stirring of rightness. She was made to be this low, it almost felt like, although she knew that couldn't be farther from the case.

Zadi's grave plaque was rough and faded, the edges crumbling with age. Her sadness seemed to only grow stronger. It felt like yesterday the woman had passed.

"Rest in the Heavens, Zadi." She gently traced the faded name with her stubby fingers. It was practically gone now. "I wish I could be more like you, but I don't die so easily. May the Gods keep you safe and protected, and please watch over me in these trying times."

She rose rather unwillingly, knowing the Gods' Adviser would be waiting. The original had passed before Zadi had breathed her last, but the title had been handed down for generations now.

Green Growth was a bustling city. Amethyst was a fully-realized Goddess. So much had changed in the last few hundred years. It felt like no time at all.

"Goddess of harvest today." She breathed, ascending the stone steps and into the comforting warm scents and sights of spring-new life. "Goddess of war tomorrow."

Amethyst knew it was a bit harsh, but she wasn't particularly a fan of her current adviser. Wiry and hollow-checked, he seemed less interested in helping the world blossom and more into expanding as far as they could reach. Amethyst loved a good tussle, but this continuous warring put her people at risk.

"It's our destiny, my Goddess." He'd always say, smiling big enough to show teeth. It was such a familiar grin it made her heart bleed. She missed _her_ adviser, the one who saved her from scavenging in the wilderness and gifted Zadi to her. "We have a Goddess; surely we deserve to rule the world."

She knew his heart was in the right place; his mind, however, obviously wasn't, but her people seemed to support his harebrained ideas. She felt a sort of binding commitment to them, to helping achieve their goals and dreams, and she couldn't argue what they so earnestly desired. A Goddess she may be, but Amethyst had to put those who had loved her from the very day they entered the world to claim milk from their mother's first.

Green Growth had long moved past its wooden cabins, sporting gleaming stone walls and a bright city filled with colorful flags and banners. Amethyst longed for simplicity for simplicity's sake.

Maybe this was why she kept sending herself into the fray to lead the charge. Maybe, in her confusion and stress towards the quick development of her people, she had begun to long instead for something she could better understand. War.

The Adviser ran a hand through his brown hair as she appeared out in the clearing. The carriage- drawn by two workhorses- sat open for her arrival. "It's bad luck to go to a grave before heading into battle." He admonished.

"It's a good thing I'm immortal, then." Amethyst snapped, climbing into the plush chair and setting her boots on the other one, forcing the young man to sit squished in the corner. "I know what I'm doing."

"Of course, my Goddess." He rapped on the thin carriage wall. It jolted into motion. "Before we leave, we've got an appointment with a farming family. They've donated money in exchange for your blessing. It's a lovely year for crops, as it has been for many years- with your permission, as it were."

Amethyst felt a personal insult by this young man's impudence. She was half-tempted to push him out onto the stone streets. It was no less than what he deserved, even if it would cause attention. She clutched her hands into fists. "Speaking of permission," She grit out between clenched teeth, eyes flashing, "how _dare_ you decide the path I take? You may be my adviser, but this is _my_ world. I'll do what I want with it, _when_ I want. Do you understand?"

He shrunk under the weight of her words, but there was no guilt to his person as he replied. "I meant no offense, my Goddess. I know how much you prefer the rural areas. I considered it to be a decent sendoff."

"And now you know never to _consider_ when it comes to me." She returned primly, then stubbornly fell silent. If he was going to assume, then she was going to let him stew in his own juices. He needed to learn.

Amethyst was a Goddess. She had to draw the line.

* * *

Amethyst's bare feet met the dusty ground with a satisfying slap. She breathed in the comforting smells of the farm, lifted her arms, and danced.

As much as she loathed to admit it, The Adviser hadn't been entirely wrong in his actions. She _did_ love the farming community that clung to the edges of Green Growth like a burr, perhaps more than the bustling city itself. It stank of body odor and various animals' excrement- but it also seemed almost identical to the little village she once knew.

Perhaps she _had_ been a little harsh, she reflected. He really was trying his best, and she knew she could be needy. Even still, if she gave him an inch, he'd take a mile, and she had too much of a reputation to keep up for that.

Amethyst twirled, feeling her mood lighten as she witnessed the small green shoots beginning to poke out of the soil spin by. She didn't ever quite discern how or where to pray to her family in the Heavens, if at all, but she knew their guidance flowed through her. How else could she tell, like she had for years and years before, that this harvest will be more bountiful than the rest?

She mentally scoffed at those first few years; how unsure she'd been. What else could she be, Amethyst pondered with a leap, feeling the roots beneath her as clear as day, nursing the good and severing the bad, but a Goddess? To think she'd ever had any doubt of who she really was.

Her last step seemed to almost quiver in the air once placed, and Amethyst bowed to it. Dancing for the good harvest never seemed to take anything out of her, oddly enough- instead it only made her feel more alive, more powerful. Dancing always had that effect on her.

It was almost like it was all in her head.

Amethyst heard a rustling in the hut bordering the plantation and a small girl pushed herself confidently into the green grass, most likely after yanking free of her parent's restrictive arms. She had raven-black bobbed hair and curious blue eyes. Amethyst found her button nose and freckles endearing as she raced over to her with a gasp of awe.

"Wow!" She said. Her eyes look almost like stars.

"Ilya!" A man- her father, presumably, or maybe a family friend- cried, grabbing her by the shoulders. He bows his head. "Forgive her, Goddess. She's young."

"She's very brave to approach me. I like that." Amethyst gave the distraught man a soothing smile and held out her hand, palm up. "May I?"

Ilya put her small hand in Amethyst's. Even as a child, she easily reached the top of her head in height. Amethyst examined the thickness and callouses to them. These weren't the hands of a woman who sewed and did laundry, that's for sure. "Ah, I see a warrior in this one. Makes sense."

The Adviser cleared his throat, looking noticeably flustered by this turn of events. Amethyst idly wondered when he'd pulled his lazy rear out of their carriage. "When you're ready, my Goddess."

"Alright, alright. Stop ordering me around." In a much better sense of humor, she placed a quick kiss to the girl's forehead. "You have my blessing, little one. I hope to see you amongst the other soldiers I fight with one day."

Ilya breathed, voice small and childish yet. "I'd be honored, Goddess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gem always had trouble keeping up with humans, after all. Have some ironic and bittersweet Amethyst so confident in who she is. Amethyst dances to protect the plants, or something like that. Really she's just dancing. Plot will soon come.


	4. Goddess of Hearth and Home

Amethyst remembered her first battle to be short and fleeting. So new to the world, the sight of a dead human had yet to greet her eyes. Being the one to smash his skull had far from helped. The enemy took its' chance to stab at her, and she was forced to reincarnate once again.

She had hesitated. She no longer did so.

Now she births two whips and lets them wrap around her feet. Armor crests her pudgy body, thin around the limbs and thick at the chest. She wore no helmet, but her long hair swung freely, ready to be yanked out in clumps. It'll grow back in a flash of magic anyway.

Amethyst flips her handle mid-air and grabs it, poised to strike. She can hear hoofbeats in the distance, and her plump lips draw back in a snarl.

They've just turned the corner when she flicks her wrist, sending a shower of purple flame on to the battered soldier. The med hut sprawls behind her, nestled in the crest of the cliffs. War sounds in the distance.

Being a Goddess of Harvest along with a Goddess of War made her heart be tricked easily. She wanted to fight, to destroy the enemy who so foolishly attacked her people, but she must care for the sick as well. Being confined to the odd soldier who scrambled through the defenses made her form itch.

The soldier shrieks and falls hard to the ground. Amethyst puts him and his poor steed out of their misery, deeply guilty for hurting the innocent creature. Weary moans from another war fills her ears. One last glance at the camp proves all clear, and she returns to the fallen.

Men and women are praying, screaming, crying. Amethyst mentally curses her ancestors for causing her people such pain, bile rising in her throat. She pulls her chest piece off and casts it aside without a glance; its' silver, gold, and jewels tinged with dirt and blood.

Medicine people are flying here and there, bags of herbs and other healing things strapped to their sides. They're dressed in plain brown tunics, and their hair is kept short; a show of their connection with life and death, and how it has humbled them. They do not bow as they pass, and she doesn't expect them to. They're busy people, after all.

There's two sides of the hut. Soldiers on the left are those that have been recovered, and are well-known, while soldiers on the right are from the other end of the conflict. They aren't ignored, as no healer may ignore a person in need, and are fed the same amount as the others, but they are given only what few scraps of healing items aren't used. A curtain blocks them from each other, avoiding the waking nightmares their presence may cause one another.

Amethyst takes careful steps to the right side of the hut, dodging haphazardly strewn arms and legs. Her loyalty is eternally to her people, but it's hard to know that these folks would never be able to report to their higher-ups again. If she could die, Amethyst is certain betrayal would do it.

She crouches beside a middle-aged man they've labeled their leader. He has no name he's willing to give her. Stubble, black and white, flecks his chin.

"Not long now until a messenger comes." She tells him, because she's been in enough wars to tell when surrender is coming. "You all may return to your homes then."

He smiles at her. It's unpleasant-looking. "I think we both know I won't make it that long."

"Your soldiers will." She answers sensibly, because surely that matters more? Amethyst would fling herself onto a hundred swords to save a single person she's claimed as her own. But, then, isn't that her point of being? Isn't that what a Goddess is supposed to _do_?

Her mind was spinning again. She missed Zadi's confidence in her, in what her place was. As time has advanced, it seems like she's become less and less useful; more of a trinket than a Goddess, a weapon to point at the enemy. She wondered, not for the first time, if perhaps it was time she returned to the Dark-Rock place.

"Yes, well." The man sighed; in through the nose and out his mouth. Pain flickered across his features. "I suppose, on the list of honorable ways to die, killed by a Goddess is fairly high up there. I take comfort in that."

Amethyst opens her mouth to reply, but The Adviser skittishly steps to her side of the curtain before she can find the words. She eyes his brightly-colored robes and well cared hair with distaste. He certainly had made no sacrifices to help the war.

"My Goddess, do not let yourself be seen with these riff-raff." He chides. "The battle is over. Come eat with us."

She isn't sure if her hair can spike like an angry animal, but she imagines it to. "I'll wait for food to come to us."

The Adviser jogs over to grab her arm, just under the shoulder. He does not avoid toes and fingers. "My Goddess, I must insist." He mutters into her ear, teeth grit. "They have found something."

The man laughs as outrage registers on her face, ending in a groan. "I'm not the only one who will die before the peace treaty is signed, I see."

She wants to punch them both, but stops herself. One man is dying, and it seems cruel to add to his torture. The other is one of the people she's supposed to protect, no matter how stupid he might act.

The commotion of returning soldiers is a familiar one. Amethyst ducks out of the way of an injured man being carried on stretcher as he moves past her. The Adviser patiently waits for them to circle around. Still others are noisily eating fire-cooked poultry, glancing over their shoulders every once in awhile. Few have thrown off their armor.

She intends to join them, but The Adviser silently points her to two men quietly arguing over a map. They're not high up on the ranks; actually, they're just messengers.

"We have to pull out now." The first insisted. They bore a shaggy ponytail, and looked no older than a teen. "We won't get back in time otherwise."

"They're so few left, we won't be here longer than a few days." The second, an old model of the first, grunted. "If we leave now they'll have time to regroup."

"That's days too long."

"It's also my decision to make." Amethyst broke in, mildly amused at how their jaws hung open as she walked closer. "Or have you forgotten that?"

They fell into bows. The older one bravely raised his head.

"Never, my Goddess."

"Good. Now, rise and tell me why you're so gung-ho about returning." She sat down with an undignified grunt, legs criss-crossing and hands griping her knees. "You seemed more than happy to cause carnage yesturday."

"There's been news, you see." The younger said excitedly. He feels confident again, after hearing the older man speak to her. "An advantage is heading our way."

"One that can apparently up and leave us behind?"

"Aye, my Goddess. May I be blunt?"

"You may."

"There's supposedly another Goddess, or so the prisoners have said. And she's heading for Green Growth."

Amethyst's heart stopped.

How many years had she wished for this? Another God or Goddess to share the world with? Her chest was weighed with loneliness from being the only one; but, should she find another, perhaps that pressure would lift a tad. Finally move past her grief.

She also saw the messenger's point. If she were a Goddess of Hearth or Health, she could protect Green Growth in place of the men and women she was forced to leave behind. A Goddess of War would make them unstoppable.

She remembered her early years with a pang. If this Goddess was half as confused as she had been, it was all the more reason Amethyst should help her.

"My Goddess?" One of the men prodded.

"I'll go." Amethyst steadily rose to her feet. "This war is basically over. You can handle it without me. I'll go alone to meet with this Goddess."

The Adviser jerked. "My Goddess! We don't even know if this is true!"

"It's worth the disappointment." She promised, taking hold of his arm. "You will help the soldiers tidy things up, then lead them home. The experience will be good for you."

He looked like a struck dog, terrified and young. "My Goddess, I can't-"

"Those are my commands. Follow them or never return at all." Amethyst growled, anxious to be on her way. She turned to the wide-eyed men. "Find me a horse. It doesn't have to be fast." She closed her eyes and breathes in the tang of blood and sweat one last time. "I yearn to be a Goddess of Home again. I want to return to Green Growth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Been a few months, hasn't it? No worries. It may take me awhile, but I wrote it! (And welcome plot nice to see you.)


	5. Welcome!

For a war-torn city, Green Growth certainly seemed lively, Rose reflected. Even from outside its' gates one could hear the cheers of partying.

The only displeased faces seemed to be of the two guards, who watched blankly as she approached. Rose half-expected a tussle, but they firmly bowed and moved out of the way. The gate took ages to open, and it was a struggle not to simply float over, but she'd hate to cause a scene.

Exchanging a quick thank you, she politely walked inside, hands folded across her stomach. The city was in full swing, with cheers and drinks being passed to every big business to hand out. Colorful paper was falling from high places, and the stone of the structures themselves seemed to be freshly clean and sparkling. It was dazzling to the eye, albeit rather simple.

She found a man sitting in a chair, mug in hand, and curtsied slightly. "What are we celebrating, comrade? I'm new in town."

He swung the mug high. "End of the war, stranger. The lovely one has returned."

"Lovely one? Is that our ruler?"

"Our Goddess, you mean." He sent her a miffed look at her apparent lack of formality, despite his own loose tongue. "Our shining light is home. The fields will grow, an' peace will return. T'weren't the case you never would've been allowed in. Have a drink and celebrate."

Rose declined and merged with the crowds, mind spinning. Granted, the naming of a Goddess wasn't exactly uncommon, but usually it was a child or animal. The tales of a purple woman ruling the people she hailed was one she'd hoped of myth. Was it a human in paint? A fleeing Homeworld soldier? Corruption? There were too many possibilities.

From what she could tell, Green Growth had three levels to it, connected by wide but elegant stairs. The first was made up of entertainers and the type of people who started fights easily. The second was a hodgepodge of win-all-take-all. The city circled in and around itself almost endlessly, and all the space seemed to be in use, from bath houses to farm land.

"Oddly happy for a world of walls." She murmured to herself. "You'd think they'd want to be free."

Guards were on every street corner, drinking or talking. They held an authoritative but honorable air about then. One glance told just how long and strenuous basic training must be to weed out as many bad seeds as they must. Rose was reminded of her Captain of Infantry, watching them. She missed the woman terribly. Lost an eye, an arm, multiple fingers, and finally her life; never once did she lose grip on her sense of humor, nor complain when Rose made a bad joke.

She clapped along to dancers and listened intently to flute players. Mostly, though, she tried to gather clues from the snippets of conversation she caught.

"Look! The first of the travelers must already be coming in. Soon we'll be flooded with defeated soldiers."

"I'm shocked. Why did she come back so soon? It's not like her. Can a Goddess become possessed?"

"Where to next?"

"The world is ours!"

"I love ya, mate. Gimme a hug."

"I think I'll name 'im Amethyst. For good luck. You don't think her loveliness'll take offense, do you?"

Rose didn't freeze physically, but it felt like her mind had been ducked into an ice bucket. Stars above, it was a Quartz. No wonder they were such a force to be reckoned with in battle. Deep down, the gem knew she really had no sway here. This Quartz is outside of her control, and by no means bound to her particular code of honor. But, at the same time, she didn't lead a rebellion and crush a Diamond only to be bullied off of a continent by one soldier and her peers.

The third floor is home to the hub of guards and the 'Goddess' herself. It's plain but imposing, with a sort of empty feel, as they were all still away for the war. A line of men and women solemnly blocked it off from civilian eyes. Rose was no civilian.

She trotted up with a graceful step, determined. "May I speak to her loveliness? I'd like to have a blessing."

"She's resting." One of them grunts.

"Wait." A second says, clapping the shoulder of the first. "Look at her hair. She _must_ be the one."

"Oh, yes. I see it now."

They all gave a short bow. "Her loveliness is waiting for you, madam. We've been hoping you'd call."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Transitional chapter is a go, but I really like it. Welcome to Rose trying to be awesome-looking when really she's enamored every two seconds by a human thing.


	6. The Old King is Dead

When Amethyst returns Green Growth begins to celebrate, as it should. It's been far too long since she saw its' white walls, the small palace at the top she calls her own. It sits perched as a way of bringing her closer to the Heavens, and the rock is white to better contrast her skin tone. At least, that's what her Adviser tells her, anyway.

No one else has returned yet, and so Amethyst takes her first private bath in hundreds of years. A few handservants and cooks hastily work as she soaks, cleaning and heating up the fires, though it'll be hours before anything that needs to be warmed will be done. They're short-staffed and under-stocked. Amethyst takes no offense.

After her bath, Amethyst rubs in her usual concoction of oils and perfumes. They make her lightly scented, but nothing overwhelming. She's found she rather enjoys the pampering.

Her clothes only require an effortless bit of magic- it takes longer to run a brush through her long hair. Amethyst ponders if she should make it short again or not, then files the decision away for later. Short hair makes her look even younger, and she wants to appear wise and ancient for the pink-haired woman.

(Why does it feel like it should be the other way around? No, no. Those instincts are lies.)

Finally, a handservant enters her chambers, lowering herself to her knees. The old spark of camaraderie floats up (she should be with her, digging her feet into the- _no_ ), and she stamps it out. "Your meal is ready, your loveliness."

"Thanks." She says, then waves the girl away before her mind wanders too far.

From there, Amethyst slips into the dining hall. She finds herself surprisingly hesitant to eat, despite having just gotten home from war. The _last_ thing she needed was to be halfway through a bite of delicious chicken, only to be pulled away by the arrival of a certain pink-haired rumor. She takes a handful of pastries and settles into a seat to wait.

Amethyst isn't sure how long she napped for, but wipes the sleep out of her eyes as one of the handservants bursts into the room, making a hasty bow.

"She has arrived, my Goddess."

Something electric sizzles through her. She slips off the chair to stand taller, trying to make herself more imposing. "Did she give you a name?"

"Yes, my Goddess. She has identified herself as Rose."

"And her hair?"

A smile crept onto the man's face; something delighted and happy. "Pinker than anything I have ever seen, my Goddess."

* * *

Amethyst knew the best way to make a good impression was to channel her love for following orders- an unfortunate glitch she didn't dabble in- into a softer, kinder woman than she perhaps would be elsewhere. Her hair was smooth, though no less wavy, and she walked with a calculated, small step. Amethyst clasped her hands around her belly, reminiscent of a pregnant mother to her unborn spawn. She also went to greet her without any guards- she didn't want Rose to assume she was intimidated. Far from it; she wanted her to be intimidated _by_ Amethyst.

Amethyst tip-toes down the stairs, turns the corner, and comes face to face with Rose. All her plans fly right out the window.

Rose is _huge_. All of her. Her height, her weight, her presence- it's all big. Her hair alone was thick enough and curly enough to tie Amethyst up and leave her helpless. Her hands could grab her life force and smash it without worry.

Amethyst feels an urge to kneel, and doesn't succumb to it. Even if Rose was some powerful Goddess, she was fallen now, and therefore had none of her original memory of prestige. They were on equal footing, now.

"I've been waiting to meet you." Rose says. Her voice is smoky smooth.

"Thanks." Amethyst says. Better to not lay all the cards out until she's certain what the woman knows. "Would you like to sit for a meal with me?"

The woman's face grew confused. "We don't _need_ to eat."

She knows the basics, then. This may be easier than Amethyst first thought. "That's true, but it's nice. Between you and me, I think the humans prefer I do. They want to make sure I keep my figure. Get all leery when I fast before a ceremony."

Rose looks no more understanding, but nods anyway. "Alright then. Let's eat."

 _She knows the basics, then_ , Rose thinks. _This may be easier than I first thought._

* * *

"What all do you remember, if I may ask?"

Amethyst sets down a chunk of mutton. Her face is sticky with grease and other things; nothing a quick wipe from a cloth can't handle. Rose hasn't touched the grapes she'd reluctantly plucked from a vine. "Is that a test?"

"I'd rather you not think of it that way," Rose says. "But- realistically- yes, it is."

"Fair enough." It wasn't like all of this hadn't been a test for her in the first place. "I remember waking up in the Dark-Rock place-"

"The Kindergarten," Rose supplies. "It's called the Kindergarten."

The word snaps into place in mind. Amethyst isn't sure she likes how quickly she's accepted it. "I eventually wandered off and ended up here, in Green Growth. Now I'm their leader."

"Their Goddess, you mean?"

"Ah. Heard a little bit of that, huh? I was trying to save that for later- didn't want to overwhelm you." She sat back, smiling like a well-fed cat. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a pretty decent set-up for a Gem, though I'm not fond of you using your magic in battle."

Amethyst faltered. "Gem?"

Rose leaned forward, brow furrowing. Her peaceful aura had hardened into something serious. "Humans can't keep up with us, Amethyst. As different as we may be, I think we both can agree they deserve at least a somewhat fair fight in return for housing and feeding us. So tone it back a little, you know?"

"I don't understand what you mean," Amethyst spluttered. "The Heavens gave me these powers to protect my people. Why would that change now?"

The pink-haired woman's eyes widened, if slightly. She looked soft again- compassionate. "It's not an act, is it?"

"What is?"

"You've never met another Gem before, have you?"

Amethyst forced herself to calm down. Rose probably thought Gem was another word for Goddess. Maybe it was a cultural thing. "I've met you. That's enough."

Rose sighed. It was a deep, foreboding sound. "If I asked you to accompany me somewhere, would you go?"

She hesitated, then jerked her head in a blunt nod. "Sure. My Adviser won't be back for a while yet."

"Then I'm asking you."

"Okay."

"Can we go tomorrow?"

"Fine."

"Are you going to finish your meal?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Eat your grapes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me long enough to make a lyric reference with the story literally titled after a song. =) The truth's finally coming out, ya'll!

**Author's Note:**

> It's not a real fandom without a god/goddess story! (Although, I'm sure I'm far from the first one.) =)
> 
> Also, considering it's canon that they don't have holidays and WW2 wasn't really a thing (or something like that; check me if i'm wrong), I think it's okay if I play around with God/Goddess names a little bit. And have them stem back to fusions. This is a completely different timeline from ours, after all.
> 
> (And, yes, that's a nod to the Coldplay tune.)


End file.
